Wine Festival Wrap

Predictably, new exhibitors were awed by the crowds and the generally excellent behaviour. That makes me wonder what people do at wine tastings in other cities. Apparently it is a far cry from what goes on in Vancouver.

I began the week at Joey Bentall One where a wall of wine speaks to the restaurant's commitment to the grape along with a highly specialized wine storage machine that allows the restaurant to dispense almost two dozen different labels by the glass; every pour in perfect condition. The top pour there was the Telmo Rodriguez 2009 Basa ($18) featured on these pages early last month. Rodriguez's booth was a festival favourite and he enjoyed roaming the city's restaurant hot spots although he confided to me he was depressed by the selection, or lack of it, of Spanish wines in local stores.

From Joey Bentall One, I headed to Gotham Steakhouse & Cocktail Bar where José Alberto Zuccardi treated a sold-out dinner crowd to a stylish mix of Argentine wine and Alberta beef. Canadian prime filet beef was the perfect match for the Zuccardi Q Tempranillo 2007 -the all tempranillo red is grown at his Santa Rosa Vineyard in Mendoza. The wine is matured one year in both new French and American oak, and another 12 months in bottle. The result is a soft, approachable, fruity style red with the scent and flavours of cherries and figs whose ripe fruit makes it an attractive current drinking proposition.

Wednesday night Pablo Alvarez of the legendary Vega Sicilia held court at West Restaurant. Alvarez lives a secret life moving between houses in Valladolid and the winery, often with body guards. The Alvarez family represents a Spanish icon in Vega Sicilia and have long been threatened by Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA), an armed Basque nationalist and separatist organization.

Alvarez poured several great wines revealing the many upgrades he has undertaken at Vega Sicilia. One such star is the Pintia Toro 2006. It is year six for Pintia and the muscular, 100 per cent tinta del Toro (tempranillo) shows well in a so-so year. The colour and entry are dark and rich with a characteristic dark fruit and chocolate undertone. The palate is a smoky, earthy black fruit affair with typically hefty Toro tannins, although they are moderately soft. Rack of lamb is the ticket here and perhaps another five years in bottle.

The Friday Awards Luncheon graciously acknowledged Jurgen Goethe as the latest winner of The Spirited Industry Professional Award for significant contribution to the sales, service or promotion of wine in British Columbia. Goethe has written and broadcast on the subject of wine in Vancouver for more than 35 years and admitted to attending the first festival 1978. Goethe has always been a champion of eclectic wines and so it is appropriate that I discovered one such example at the superb Vancouver Convention Centre East luncheon.

The Raimat Abadia Blanc de Blancs 2009 is a stunningly spicy, ginger-scented albariño Chardonnay blend awash in peachy citrus fruit. So fresh and crisp, it represents ridiculous value. It is a wonderful summer seafood wine or simply entertain with this bargain on the patio all summer long.

Alvaro Palacios was immensely entertaining. I had lunch with the respected vintner at Oru and tasted some fabulous bottles of wines from three Spanish regions we should all get to know a lot better. Palacios' home base is the Rioja Baja at Alfaro, but he has compelling projects in Bierzo and Priorat.

La Vendimia 2009 or "the harvest" is famed winemaker Alvaro Palacios' ode to young Spanish wine that spend less than six months in wood. The fruit is a 50/50 mix of garnacha and tempranillo that is grown organically -with the exception of two growers. In 2009, after a wet winter and spring, magic spread across the Rioja where not another drop of rain fell. Its intense pure, aromatic, fruit, flecked with violets and blood oranges, will stun you. Should be on every wine list in the city.

Pétalos 2008 is all about the old-vine, 60-years plus mencia grape that is bio-dynamically farmed on several small hillside plots. Its mineral, floral, violet character stems from the rocky slate soils and old vines that Alvaro Palacios and Ricardo Perez Palacios (his nephew and co-proprietor) work with. You will love its warm, earthy nose and dark berry fruit flavours. It is so well balanced you will want to drink the entire bottle before your food arrives so you can have another. This is serious stuff at a very unserious price.

Hundreds of small vineyards in seven different municipalities come together under the maestro Alvaro Palacios to be Alvaro Palacios Les Terrasses Velles Vinyes 2008. Steep old north facing sites that escape the hottest sun are the secret to Les Terrasses great flavours. It spends 14 months in barrels; only 15 per cent are new. Expect a sweet, supple, rich, spicy red with slate and mineral undertones with floral, violet and cypress overtones. Love the aromatic black fruit notes. Nothing but terroir. Lamb shanks, grilled lamb, lamb chops ... well you get the message.

Chile, the theme country in 2012, will have big shoes to fill.

Wine Zuccardi Q Tempranillo 2007, Mendoza, Argentina

Price: $20

UPC: 7791728020618

Score: 87/100

Remarks: Soft, approachable, fruity-style red with flavours of cherries and figs.

Pintia Toro 2006, Toro, Castilla-Leon, Spain

Price: $68

UPC: 008436028610297

Score: 90/100

Remarks: The palate is a smoky, earthy, black fruit affair with typically hefty Toro tannins.

Raimat Abadia Blanc de Blancs 2009, Costers del Segre, Catalunya, Spain

Price: $13

UPC: 08410013996948

Score: 87/100

Remarks: A stunningly fresh, spicy, ginger scented albariño Chardonnay blend.

La Vendimia Garnacha, Tempranillo 2009, Rioja Baja, Spain

Price: $27 Everything Wine

UPC: N/A

Score: 91/100

Remarks: Pure, aromatic fruit flecked with violets and blood oranges.

Pétalos 2008, Bierzo, Castilla-Leon, Spain

Price: $29

UPC: 008437004566270

Score: 91/100

Remarks: Serious stuff at a very unserious price.

Alvaro Palacios Les Terrasses Velles Vinyes 2008, Priorato, Catalunya, Spain

Price: $47

UPC: 626990066712

Score: 93/100

Remarks: Nothing but terroir. Lamb shanks, grilled lamb, lamb chops.